Would be managed
by Big Cat
Summary: Lord Havelock Vetinari has a plan to celebrate the May 25th events.


The watch committee went out slowly. The Patrician sighed thoughtfully and came to the wide window, looking out across the city. Everything that had happened that morning thus far had been quite boring, especially the Watch committee gathered for its weekly meeting. Thankfully, Lord Vetinari's personal secretary appeared just in time, unfortunately with ill news. The young watch dwarf Strong-in-the arm's death wasn't something he would consider as relief, but some times even Lord Vetinari's patience had the tendency to run out.

What was happening to Commander Vimes had been in his thoughts for a while. And Lord Vetinari didn't like what appeared in his own manipulative head. He barely had the image of Vimes' irritate face out of his thoughts and that made him smile.

It'd been quite long time ago, since he had seen feelings on his commanding officer's face other than than boredom and irritation. He remembered him some years ago. He was a drunkard, a boor, a lousy captain, but he was happy, and, strangely, he was efficient. Years before Captain Carrot's appearance in the city of Ankh-Morpork, Sam Vimes had built sort of a neat organization. Yes, it wasn't strict, ordered and tidy the way it was in present, but it was the best he had seen in those old uncertain days…

Then the dragon events happened and everything went its way. The Watch grew up, everything started developing, enlarging, building… The city needed more and more Watch members and that was quite strange, the Patrician thought. Years ago the Day Watch had a dozen members, and less than half were the members of the Night shift. What happened? What had brought that sudden success to the city? The trade went high, and everyone seemed to be happy (meaning not entirely unhappy), but with each enlargement of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch its leader, Captain Sam Vimes, apparently Commander, and more specified, His Grace the Duke of Ankh, Sir Samuel, started to change. It was hard to detect, but Lord Havelock Vetinari wasn't a Patrician just because his icy blue eyes.

_What if… What if he…_

Lord Vetinari sighed while he stood by the window, split his small tidy world from the pandemonium in city of Ankh-Morpork.

He looked at the far end of the Palace garden, where once a single lilac bush had grown into a massive fencing of blooming mauve florets. The memories invaded in his thoughts. The day he would never forget. Even if he were to make this the sole reason for his existence, he wouldn't entirely. Something, anything, would have reminded him of the events he had witnessed many years ago.

_It was 25 th day of May._

The door opened, Lord Vetinari turned to meet his newest guest and nodded curtly. The wizard nodded back.

Mustrum Ridcully entered into the Oblong office nervously, so uncommon to his normal behavior, which made Lord Vetinari try very hard to hide the invisible proud smile. 'It's done, sir' said Mustrum Ridcully. The Patrician half closed his eyes in reply. 'The storm appears to be big one,' continued the Arch-Chancellor nervously. 'The octarine's been spread nicely. Not that huge quantity, but…'

'Hmm...' mumbled the Patrician still staring through the window. The wizard sighed anxiously.

'It wouldn't be wise, Your Lordship, if we don't…' He swallowed hardly, blinking uncertainly. 'The octarine is unstable element which could worth massive damages if used…' He looked at Vetinari's blank face. 'All right, as you wish. But I'm not the one to blame if anything…'

'That would be enough' Vetinari replied with no interest in his voice. 'Please, don't let me detain you, Arch-Chancellor.'

The wizard blinked stunned, still staring at the slim figure, and opened his mouth to say something, but hesitated and prepared to exit. The Patrician murmured slowly when he grasped the door handle. Mustrum Ridcully turned with anxious expectation.

'I think it's better for you to follow your path down through the back stairs, Arch-Chancellor' Lord Vetinari said, viewing the external world. 'As I see our… hmm… friend has already appeared.'

The Arch-Chancellor of the Unseen University glanced quickly in at the same direction and stepped back from the window.

'Oh, bugger!' he cursed and hurried through the open door.

The Patrician of Ankh-Morpork cast a glance at the papers at his desk, where one specific note grabbed his attention. It wasn't very different than the other papers spread there. But it was in its own way. Drumknott had a very strange face when he delivered the note, mentioning '_a_ _little bold man, looking strangely familiar like a monk_'. The Patrician didn't have to look at it again; some words were stuck in his memories. Such as Carcer, Unseen University , Littlebottom… Part of the last sentence draw his attention once again: '..._would be managed_.' That made him smile.

'_So_', he thought, '_would His Grace evaluate this special anniversary present_…?' Then he made a face. '_Or_ _would it make him lose his temper… again_?' He stared at the door, counting the seconds severing him from the meeting with his leading Watch officer. A mystery smile appeared on his face. He turned back to his position by the window.

The door opened with a swing. Samuel Vimes' new leather boots stamped into the Oblong Office. Havelock Vetinari turned round to welcome him. The lilac flower, pinned on his robe, swayed gently.

---

_Don't hate. That was just a random experiment._


End file.
